Apparatus for grinding toothed face members

ABSTRACT

Provision is made for an automatic, oscillating feeding motion between cup-shaped grinding wheel and a dresser assembly including rotary dresser wheels, to impart a special undulating or scalloped configuration to the cutting surfaces on the grinding wheel whereby the flow of coolant to and of waste material from the cutting regions will be facilitated, during actual cutting operations. The present invention further comprises novel structures for an automatic sequence of dressing operations wherein during the dressing steps, an oscillatory feed motion will be automatically provided between the grinding wheel and the dresser assembly through the use of a DCDT (a direct current displacement transducer) connected through a feedback arrangement to a hydraulic drive, and operating in conjunction with mechanical structure. The mechanical structure includes a clutch drive and a cam arrangement, drivingly connected to the spindle for the grinding wheel and operating in conjunction with rotation of the grinding wheel to impart an oscillating or reciprocating motion to the core or armature of the DCDT coil thereby effecting through the feedback arrangement and the hydraulic drive an automatic movement of the grinding wheel by reason of the DCDT coil trying to return to a null position thereof relative to the reciprocating core.

United States Patent 1 Clarke et al.

[45] Dec. 4, 1973 APPARATUS FOR GRINDING TOOTHED FACE MEMBERS [76] Inventors: James F. Clarke; Thomas A. Deprez, both of 0/0 Gleason Works, 1000 University Ave., Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 305,291

Related US. Application Data [60] Continuation of Ser. No. 90,441, Nov. 17, 1970, which is a division of Ser. No. 803,683, March 3, 1969, Pat. No. 3,640,030.

Primary Examiner-Harold D. Whitehead Attorney-Morton A. Polster et al.

[57] ABSTRACT Provision is made for an automatic, oscillating feeding motion between cup-shaped grinding wheel and a dresser assembly including rotary dresser wheels, to impart a special undulating or scalloped configuration to the cutting surfaces on the grinding wheel whereby the flow of coolant to and of waste material from the cutting regions will be facilitated, during actual cutting operations.

The present invention further comprises novel structures for an automatic sequence of dressing operations wherein during the dressing steps, an oscillatory feed motion will be automatically provided between the grinding wheel and the dresser assembly through the use of a DCDT (a direct current displacement transducer) connected through a feedback arrangement to a hydraulic drive, and operating in conjunction with mechanical structure. The mechanical structure includes a clutch drive and a cam arrangement, drivingly connected to the spindle for the grinding wheel and operating in conjunction with rotation of the grinding wheel to impart an oscillating or reciprocating motion to the core or armature of the DCDT coil thereby effecting through the feedback arrangement and the hydraulic drive an automatic movement of the grinding wheel by reason of the DCDT coil trying to return to a null position thereof relative to the reciprocating core.

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1. A method of dressing a grinding wheel having a cylindrical body portion terminating at one end in a cutting surface, said method including rotating said grinding wheel about its axis and in contact with a dressing tool and simultaneously providing for oscillating relative axial feeding motion between said grinding wheel and said dressing tool to provide grooves in said cutting surface.
 2. A method of dressing a grinding wheel having a cylindrical and generally axially extending body portion terminating in converging inner and outer tapering annular surfaces joined by an annular end surface, the method comprising rotating said grinding wheel in contact with three dressing tools, one for said inner tapering surface, one for said outer tapering surface, and one for said end surface, and providing for periodic axial feed and withdrawal between said dressing tools and said grinding wheel to form grooves in said surfaces.
 3. A method of dressing a cup-shaped grinding wheel wherein said grinding wheel has an annular cutting end at the free end thereof being defined by converging inner and outer annular surfaces terminating in an annular end surface, and wherein three dressing wheels are utilized, one for each of said inner, outer and end surfaces, in improvement which comprises: arranging two of said dressing wheels in contact with said converging surfaces at the same region on the periphery of said grinding wheel, arranging the third dressing wheel in contact with said end surface at a different region on the periphery of said grinding wheel, rotating said grinding wheel and said dresser wheels in contact with each other, and providing for oscillating relative axial feeding between said grinding wheel and said dressing tools to form grooves in said inner, outer and end surfaces.
 4. Structure for dressing a cup-saped grinding wheel having cutting surfaces at the annular lip thereof, said structure including: a rotary dresser wheel having a dressing surface thereon, means for holding a cup-shaped grinding wheel so that a cutting surface at the annular lip thereof is in engagement with said dresser wheel and with the axes of said dresser wheel and said grinding wheel being parallel, means for rotating said dresser wheel and said grinding wheel, and means providing for an oscillating feeding motion between said dresser wheel and said grinding wheel and in the direction of their axes to form grooves in the cutting surface of the grindng wheel during engagement of the grinding wheel with the dresser wheel.
 5. Structure for dressing a cup-shaped grinding wheel having a cutting region at the lip thereof defined by three cutting surfaces, two of which are converging, tapered annular surfaces and the third being the annular end surface, said structure including: a pair of spaced dresser wheels arranged with their axes parallel, means for holding a cup-shaped grinding wheel so that the annular, tapering cutting surfaces thereof are in engagement with said dresser wheels and with the axes of said dresser wheels and said grinding wheel being parallel, means for rotating said dresser wheels and the grinding wheel, said means providing for an oscillating feeding motion between said dresser wheels and said grinding wheel and in the direction of their axes to form grooves in the annular tapered cutting surfaces of the grinding wheel.
 6. The structure defined in claim 5 and further including a third dresser wheel shaped from said pair of dresser wheels and with its axis at right angles to the axes of said wheels, said third wheel being arranged to engage and dress the end cutting surface of said grinding wheel.
 7. The structure defined in claim 5 and further including means providing for an oscillating feeding motion between said third dresser dheel and said grinding wheel and in the direction of the axis of the grinding wheel to form grooves in the annular end surface of the grinding wheel.
 8. Structure for dressing a cup-shaped grinding wheel having a cutting region at the lip thereof defined by three cutting surfaces, two of which are converging, tapered annular surfaces and the third being the annular end surface, said structure including: a pair of spaced dresser wheels arranged with their axes parallel, a rotary spindle for holding a cup-shaped grinding wheel so that the annular, tapering cutting surfaces thereof are in engagement with said dresser wheels and with the axes of said dresser wheels and said grinding wheel being parallel; first means operatively engaged to said spindle for rotating said spindle; second means operatively engaged to said spindle for effecting axial movement thereof; third means releasably operatively interconnecting said first means to said second means to effect oscillating axial motion of said spindle when said second means is operating to rotate said spindle, and fourth means for rotating said dresser wheels.
 9. The structure defined in claim 8 wherein said second means includes a feed quill operatively engaged to said spindle, a motor, and means drivingly connecting said motor to said feed quill to effect axial movement of said quill and said spindle.
 10. The structure defined in claim 9, wherein said third means includes means for varying operation of said motor in accordance with rotary movements of said spindle.
 11. The structure defined in claim 10 wherein said third means includes a releasable clutch arrangement for selective interconnection between said first and said second means.
 12. The structure defined in claim 11 wherein said third means further includes: a multilobed cam releasably drivingly connected to said first means through said clutch arrangement, an electrical coil, means for slidably mounting said coil relative to said quill, a slidable core for said coil, a follower operatiVely engaged to said cam and said core for reciprocating said core in said coil in respone to rotation of said cam, and an electrical control system including said coil and operatively connected to said motor to vary operation thereof in response to reciprocation of said core.
 13. The structure defined in claim 8 and further including a third dresser wheel spaced from said pair of dresser wheels and with its axis at right angles to the axes of said wheels, said third wheel being arranged to engage and dress the end cutting surface of said grinding wheel. 